Politics & Government

3:53 pm

Thu January 24, 2013

Indiana legislators aim to grow workforce through education

Indiana legislators say they are working in a bipartisan way to bring all the elements of Indiana’s education and workforce development sectors together to reduce the state’s unemployment, with legislation that would establish the Indiana Career Council.

Speaker Brian Bosma, a co-sponsor of the Career Council bill, said various entities like the state’s career and technical education districts, regional economic development organizations and Ivy Tech campuses and regions are often disjointed.

“So our goal, together, is to get all the elements of state government that are working on career development, job creation, and workforce development at a single table to discuss, share data and set vision,” said Bosma.

These elements of state government, according to Bosma, will include the commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Secretary of Commerce, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Commissioner for Higher Education.

Also co-sponsoring the bill, House Minority Leader Scott Pelath said the Career Council will involve more than connecting current unemployed Hoosiers with the skills they will need to get a job.

“We have a shared awareness of the job opportunities that are going to be available tomorrow and a year from now so people can start getting the skills that are needed to fit in with the trends of the workforce,” said Pelath.